Since becoming a mother, this summer has been one of the busiest, most active and most fun-filled seasons I can ever remember. Numerous vacations, activities and visits with family had me sometimes feeling like I didn’t have a second to spare, but I loved every minute of it.

I have to admit, though, that my dietary habits suffered a lot. Decadent food on a seven-day Carnival Cruise, gourmet meals at the beautiful Casino Rama Resort in Ontario and a few too many takeout meals eaten on the road had me feeling sluggish, stuffed and in need of a serious reset to my system.

So for the next month, I’m taking charge of my health again with these three unique healthy lifestyle changes!

1) Intermittent Fasting

I’ve been a fan of intermittent fasting for almost a year now, though I took a break from it this summer. In its simplest form, intermittent fasting is going without food for a set period of time.

There are a few different cycles that people tend to favour and when I first started fasting, I would choose two days a week to do a full 24 hour fast except for a 500-calorie supper.

But after the indulgence I’d been enjoying, I knew I needed to kick it up a notch. So for the last week, I’ve been doing my 24 hour fast every other day instead.

Already I feel more energized, my mind is more focused and my stomach is less bloated. While many people love intermittent fasting for its weight loss benefits, it’s also been shown to reduce inflammation, increase cellular repair, reduce insulin resistance and even improve brain function! [Read more…]

One of the main reasons I’ve managed to improve my own health lately is because of my fiancé. He’s been passionate about his well-being and when I see him running every day, doing yoga and coming up with tasty and healthy meal ideas, it’s only natural that I join in as well. He turned thirty this year and so his body’s health requirements are starting to change a bit. Luckily, Orange Naturals is there for him with products to help him feel his best for years to come! If you want to ensure the special man in your life has the vitamins and minerals his body needs, these three products are a great place to start:

ND Shake for Men – The first nutrient dense shake customized for a man’s unique physiological needs. It combines a professionally formulated men’s multivitamin with a blend of 18g plant protein, greens, superfruits and fibre. It also includes nutrients specific to men’s health, such as cinnamon to keep blood sugar levels in check, lycopene for prostate health and CoQ10 for maintaining heart health.

CoQ10 – As we age, our ability to produce CoQ10 on our own is reduced. Taking a supplement may be critical for heart health. It also helps to prevent migraine headaches!

Of course, eating healthy, regular exercise and a good night’s sleep are also crucial to overall health. So doing thirty minutes of cardio exercise three times a week, eating a high protein, high fibre diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and getting at least eight hours of sleep each night are a must!

Looking for more tips on men’s health? Visit the ONatural blog for great articles on how to help the men in your life look and feel their best, as well as tasty recipes, family health tips and so much more! And for even more health advice and information, subscribe to the ONatural newsletter!

Since my fiancé and I are taking a family cruise at the end of the month, feeling healthy and fit before we leave is a goal for both of us. And thanks to a healthy lifestyle and a little help from Orange Naturals, I’m sure we’ll both be in peak shape when we set sail! Check out the full selection of vitamins, minerals and supplements from Orange Natural to help maximize your health, and make this summer the healthiest one yet!

Disclosure: I am part of the Orange Naturals Mom Ambassador Program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

About six months ago, I officially reached the point of being in the worst shape of my life. I’d moved from a small town to a small city and as a result, I was suddenly driving everywhere instead of walking. I was having a few too many glasses of wine on the weekend, and then eating way too much when I’d lost my usual restraint. And to top all that off, I was also sleeping less since my boys had a long bus ride to school and I had to be up at six to make their lunches and get them ready to leave.

After coasting along unhealthily for a few months, I knew it was time to make a change. But I also knew that if I tried anything too drastic, I wouldn’t stick with it. So a few months ago, I added some simple, easy-to-maintain habits to my daily life. And while I obviously haven’t had amazing and drastic results, I have lost weight and inches, I have more energy and I finally feel like myself again. These are three of the daily habits I added to help ensure I was living healthier. [Read more…]

After one of the warmest winters I can ever remember in my 35 years of living in Saskatchewan, I’m blissfully enjoying an equally warm spring. The grass is green, the birds are chirping and for the entire week, temperatures will be in the high teens and low twenties…my favourite temperature range! There’s not much that could put a damper on the enjoyment this weather gives my family. But when I noticed my oldest son’s puffy eyes and sniffling yesterday, I remembered the one thing that I don’t love about spring: seasonal allergies!

Zackary and I both suffer from seasonal allergies and while our symptoms are usually quite mild, we both occasionally have those days when we’re struck with uncontrollable sneezing, itchy and swollen eyes and a constant runny nose. But thanks to Orange Naturals, I’m always ready to treat and prevent our allergies with gentle and natural homeopathic formulas! [Read more…]

In less than a week, the first day of spring will be here! And as a confirmed lover of sunshine, green grass and warm temperatures, I could not be happier. But at the same time, I’m also finding that I’m a little more restless than usual and have a much harder time getting to sleep each night. It’s a feeling that I think of as spring fever, and from the way my boys are acting lately, I’m not the only one that’s feeling it! But getting through the changing season is a lot easier with a few simple tips! These are the three ways I make sure my family is as calm, cool and relaxed as possible through the first few energy-filled weeks of spring!

1) Run it Off

In Saskatchewan, springtime doesn’t necessarily mean the snow has melted and the grass is green. In fact, there’s been snow on the ground until almost May for the last few years! This year we’ve had unseasonably warm weather, which means getting outside is easier. But even when the weather is nasty, burning off some of that extra energy with a brisk walk or jog does wonders to keep me calm and relaxed. On a nice day, I’ll take the boys outside and we’ll explore the neighbourhood together. When the weather is too cold and miserable, I’ll just put on some relaxing music, hop on the treadmill and walk for 30 minutes. But either way, I feel happier, healthier and much more relaxed when I’m done. [Read more…]

Between getting engaged, Valentine’s Day celebrations and starting to plan a wedding, matters of the heart have been very much on my mind this February. And while love and romance are always common themes for the month, February is also a great time to remember to take care of your heart! After all, a strong and healthy heart is one of the best ways to ensure a long life of happiness with your soul-mate.

Stress has long been thought to impact heart health and I know that the coming months will bring more than their fair share of stressful days. In addition to planning our wedding, my fiance and I are also planning a move to a new city in the summer! That’s why I’m making sure that Orange Naturals Heart Health tincture is a part of my daily routine over the next few months. Containing hawthorn, garlic, linden and motherwort, it’s a multi-purpose heart health formula that helps protect the circulatory system, reduce heart disease risk and relieve nervousness! [Read more…]

I’ve never really been one to make New Year’s resolutions because I find that so often they’re approached with an “all or nothing” mentality. Instead, I set a few goals that I can work towards throughout the year, then evaluate my success when the year ends. I try to set goals for all the different aspects of my life: career, family, travel and health.

This year, with my 35th birthday just a few weeks away, health is a big focus for the upcoming year. Since moving to a city townhouse, my daily walks to run errands and take my boys to school have been eliminated. And that means my exercise level has gone way down. Plus, with takeout places now just minutes away, I’ve been eating out a little more than I’d like. So the new year is the perfect time for me to take charge and improve my health once and for all!

First off, I’m committing to exercising three times a week. As much as I’d prefer to set the goal of exercising every day, I think that trying to do too much too soon is likely to lead to giving up on the entire idea. But three days of doing a half-hour walk on the treadmill followed by half an hour of yoga is an easier commitment that I know I’ll be able to maintain. [Read more…]

The holidays were two weeks of nonstop fun in this household but now that the merriment is pretty much over, we’re all in desperate need of a recharge. Too many late nights, too much holiday food and too much excitement has left the entire family exhausted. So how do we charge our bodies and get back in the swing of things? These three health tips for women have helped me get back to normal again!

1) Daily Multivitamins

It’s all too easy to forget about taking those daily vitamins when the focus is on opening presents, visiting family and digging into another delicious feast. So one of the fastest and easiest ways to ensure good health was for us to start making our daily vitamins a habit again. When I take out the children’s gummy vitamins each day, I make sure to take out our Orange Naturals Adult Multi vitamins at the same time. Considering there’s still likely to be some feasting on holiday leftovers in the coming days, making sure we get the vitamins and minerals we need is a must! [Read more…]